Training partner can help you reach your personal bests, but where do you find one?

In my early days in the gym I realised that my self motivation to come in the mornings or late evenings and run on a treadmill or do some poorly planned exercise was pretty low.
Apart from pointless exercises randomly mixed into my gym routines, I was also alone to master the challenge of coming to the gym.

Before becoming full-time gym-bunny, I appointed a PT (in my mind referred to as Coach) to help me change my random pointless exercise plan into a proper training plan which promised results and delivered results. I was fairly satisfied with it and with my Coach, but there is only so many days in a week that you can train with your coach. The bond between us was really strong, but he also taught me to self-guide myself on days when he was not around. Majority of professional athletes self-guide themselves and coaches only polish their technique. So, when you embark on the journey to become fit, strong and healthy, you will have to consider that a lot of time will be spent self-guiding, educating, researching and correcting your technique. But, this “lonely time” is worth it!

A year into, what I would refer to as a good steady progress, my Coach had to leave as he was moving to California. While I am not a professional athlete, my Coach meant a lot to me. There is a strange relationship going on between a coach and athlete. Firstly, you have to trust your coach. Secondly, coach becomes part of your fitness life but also your life outside the gym as he/she should be aware of your emotional life and social life as it directly impacts your performance and results. Coach becomes your best friend in a very strange way.

So, I was left without a coach and on the quest to find one. While he recommended a few good coaches, I struggled to create the same bond and in all fairness it was a big job to fill his boots!

Fortunately, this was the time when I met my training partner. She also was coached by Adam (our coach) and was on the quest to find another coach or indeed find a substitute to existing training regime which was similar to mine.

We bonded well and we are now training for over 3 months together. It is fun but and it also brings results and it is fair to say that I achieved my personal bests because she would be encouraging these from the side line.

So, what to look out for in your training buddy?
* shared (similar) goals and targets
* clarity on their plans and training
* similar views on nutrition and food

My training buddy Kim is amazing. She is not like me. She is different, but that’s what makes us work in balance. She pushes me really hard, but also understands when I need to stop training or when I am over -training. Often enough, she is the voice of sanity when my character comes out.

We train together at least 3 times a week, but also train separately. We both enjoy crossfit and mostly we both love weightlifting. This is important as our committment to 5 days a week training means that a lot of it must be enjoyed by both of us.

Our first team competition is taking place in August in Cardiff. We are attending European Inferno http://www.europeaninferno.com/

It will be a lot of fun, but we are also going to test our abilities and team synchronisation.

I don’t have an answer as to where to find a training buddy, but I am a believer that you should try to find one if you see a keen girl/boy in the same gym. Crossfit is a great place to find training buddies especially because of its community spirit. Crossfit clubs encourage team spirit unlike regular gyms where you have to face the challenge of training on your own.

I knew of Kim and watched her and her performance in the gym. I would have never approached her on my own accord and she probably wouldn’t have approached me, but our coach did the hard work for us.